The sky on
your birthday.
20 Years Ago: Vikings on Mars
On July 20, 1976, the Viking 1 lander became the first spacecraft to successfully land on Mars. Weeks later, its twin, Viking 2, followed suit. This image from Viking 1's landing site on Chryse Planitia shows a field of rocks and boulders, part of the thousands of pictures the missions took.
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Released on your day
Space pictures released on your month and day in other years, or a few days either side. Each one is sharp enough to print as a poster.
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Released on 20 July 2012 Comet Shoemaker: Levy 9 observations See it as a poster -
Released on 20 July 2011 Wide-field view of the sky around NGC 1929 See it as a poster -
Released on 20 July 2018 The Sun's glint reflects off the Pacific Ocean shadowed by a line of cumulonimbus clouds as the International Space See it as a poster -
Released on 20 July 2018 One of four basket ball court-sized main solar arrays that power the International Space Station contrasts the bright See it as a poster -
Released on 20 July 2020 A Discovery of Ghostly Arms See it as a poster
In tropical astrology, 20 JUL 1996 falls under Cancer (♋). The sign's window runs from 06-21 through 07-22. Cancer is marked by the Beehive Cluster, M44, a loose family of stars visible to the naked eye on a dark night. The Sun was crossing this region of the sky on 20 JUL 1996.
Questions about July 20, 1996
What space photo was released on July 20, 1996?
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for July 20, 1996 was "20 Years Ago: Vikings on Mars". It's the card at the top of this page.
What was the Moon's phase on July 20, 1996?
A waxing crescent moon, about 22% lit.
What day of the week was July 20, 1996?
July 20, 1996 was a Saturday, day 202 of the 366 days in 1996.
Is it free?
Yes. Seeing, sharing and downloading the card is free, and there's no account to make.